Generally, integrated circuits may be formed from a variety of active and passive devices on a semiconductor substrate. These active and passive devices may include, for example, transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, or the like. Additionally, the integrated circuits may also have a plurality of interleaved conductive layers and insulative layers in order to interconnect the various active and passive devices into the desired functional circuitry. This functional circuitry may be connected to external devices using, for example, contact pads or other types of connection to provide power, ground and signal connections to the various active and passive devices.
However, in the race to further miniaturize the integrated circuits, and in particular to further miniaturize the active and passive devices within the integrated circuits, problems have arisen with the various materials that have historically been used to form the active and passive devices. As such, new materials have been investigated as potential replacement materials for various aspects of the active and passive devices in an effort to make the active and passive devices not only smaller and more efficient.
Unfortunately, while there may be materials that may offer benefits if used in various aspects of the active and passive devices, a problem may arise in that the materials may not be easy to incorporate within the manufacturing processes that may be utilized to mass produce the integrated circuit for consumption by the general public. As such, without the ability to mass produce the materials and to integrate them into a mass production process flow, such materials may be only minimally useful. As such, it would be beneficial to find a useful material that is also easily scalable so that the material can be mass produced and incorporated into the mass production of integrated circuit process flows.
Corresponding numerals and symbols in the different figures generally refer to corresponding parts unless otherwise indicated. The figures are drawn to clearly illustrate the relevant aspects of the embodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale.